Seen from the very slim perspective of tech and associated providers that had been discontinued, deprecated and disconnected, 2025 was fairly quiet. However not silent: 10 occasions stand out for me as a loooong-time observer and participant within the business from the angle of getting a notable influence or representing the tip of an period.
For comparability, in 2022, we misplaced some massive names, just like the iPod, Google Stadia and Internet Explorer. This 12 months appeared to have fewer high-profile goodbyes and much more nostalgia and modifications symptomatic of bigger developments.
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Watch this: RIP to the Tech That Died in 2025
AOL disconnects its dial-up web service
If you happen to’re of a sure age, like me, the screechy tones of a modem handshake connecting to the web present an audio sense reminiscence of the gradual, youth of the net. In these early days, you logged into a selected service, so the most important fish — AOL — grew to become synonymous with dial-up. Thirty-four years later, in September, it ceased to screech and maybe left numerous rural prospects with out residence web entry. (Some 2 million people were still using it as of 2015.)
The Humane AI wearable when it was new.
Humane AI pin
I used to be baffled by the joy across the Humane AI pin, a wearable AI voice chat gadget: It could be as a result of I’ve seen so many of those one-trick ponies come and go, most changed by multifunctional devices. Within the case of the pin, which lasted solely round a 12 months, the truth that it wasn’t very good compounded the problem. Whereas HP bought Humane AI lock, inventory and chatbot in February, the driving force was the technical expertise, working system and patent portfolio; a revival of the {hardware} is unlikely.
The final residence button, right here on the iPhone SE.
The final iPhone residence button leaves city
You possibly can’t go residence once more, no less than not simply on the iPhone anymore. The last model with a dedicated home button was the iPhone SE, which was changed by the house buttonless iPhone 16e in February. In some instances, you may map one other management to carry you residence, nevertheless it means giving up direct entry to a different functionality, and I curse its absence each time my iPhone will get persnickety about sensing upswipes from the underside of the display screen.
Micron Essential DDR5 in 2024 simply earlier than the AI growth.
Micron forgets Essential client reminiscence
Reminiscence producers are flocking to excessive demand, excessive margin, AI-friendly high-bandwidth reminiscence because of the seemingly deep pockets of fashionable AI corporations that want information facilities yesterday. Given there are solely actually three important producers — SK Hynix, Micron and Samsung — when Micron announced it was pivoting away from consumer markets in November, the tip to nowadays of impossible-to-find, impossible-to-afford memory for PCs appears additional away than ever.
The BSoD once I final remembered to {photograph} it in 2021.
Black is the brand new blue display screen of demise
Home windows’ blue display screen of demise has been a tech staple because the early days of the graphical consumer interface, some of the dreaded and not-terribly-useful bounce scares ever supplied by a system crash. Whereas Microsoft improved the restoration velocity and backend information assortment for working system crashes in October 2024, the corporate replaced the BSoD itself within the October 2025 launch of the OS, with a “easier UI” on a (much less anxiety-inducing?) black background. We are going to miss you, large frown emoticon. Although I nonetheless count on it to pop up within the ordinary uncommon locations, like digital billboards and taxi leisure methods, which invariably run on outdated variations of Home windows.
The house display screen of the Fireplace TV Stick 4K Max, working apps from the Amazon App Retailer.
Amazon fires its Android App Retailer
Amazon has at all times had a laser-sharp concentrate on the underside line, which incorporates driving consumers towards its own-branded merchandise. It took that to a brand new degree in August, shutting its store for general Android apps and switching to apps meant to run solely by itself Fireplace gadgets, which run a {custom} model of Android. The shop lasted a comparatively very long time, although, 14 years from its 2011 launch.
Skype circa 2018.
Microsoft Skype turns into a Groups participant
Lengthy earlier than FaceTime and ubiquitous VOIP communications, within the early years of this century, Skype entered the mainstream consciousness as an inexpensive different to expensive long-distance and worldwide cellphone (voice) calls, selecting up velocity when it was acquired in Microsoft in 2011 and added video calling to its talent set. In February, Microsoft announced we’d be saying buh-bye to the veteran standalone app and that it could be folded into the corporate’s free model of its less-beloved Groups app.
Nest Studying Thermostat second technology.
Google Nest Studying Thermostat dumbs down
Google’s lobotomy of the first two generations of the OG smart thermostat in October supplied us with one more object lesson in Twenty first-century planned obsolescence. The {hardware} is ok, simply outdated by tech requirements: Nest Labs launched it in 2011, and Google bought the company in 2014. However by disconnecting it from the app (euphemistically known as “ending help”), it loses a number of the options you got it for, like distant operation and notifications, in addition to discontinuing safety updates — primarily encouraging individuals to improve.
Google’s Stadia controller, now a relic.
Google bricks final Stadia controllers
Google’s custom-designed controller, with its proprietary connection to the corporate’s short-lived Stadia cloud gaming service, was discontinued when the service shuttered in on the finish of 2022. The corporate refunded {hardware} purchases, however has additionally supplied firmware upgrades to transform it to Bluetooth; it is a well-designed controller, so tossing it appears a waste. However as of the tip of 2025, the corporate stops providing the improve — if you have not transformed by then, you may add the controller to your shelf of nonfunctioning collectibles.
DJI Mini 2 flying free.
US grounds DJI drone imports
One of many main drone producers — it is most likely essentially the most well-known — now numbers among the many merchandise you may have bother shopping for right here within the US, because of a ban on imports of all foreign-made drones that went into impact in December. You possibly can nonetheless fly ’em and purchase ’em, you may simply have an issue discovering ’em.
